This invention pertains to the art of valve manifold assemblies and, more particularly, to such an assembly which includes means for mounting the valve manifold to a pipe or other support structure.
The invention is particularly applicable to a valve manifold assembly provided with a differential pressure cell and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications and may advantageously be employed in other environments.
Conventionally, valve manifolds and differential pressure cells have been mounted simultaneously for connection with their associated fluid systems. The differential pressure cells were installed prior to the completion of construction whereby damage to the instruments often occurred due to their inherently delicate nature. Additionally, any servicing of the assemblies which was required at a later date necessitated the presence of both a pipefitter and an instrument man in order to disconnect the piping from the manifold and allow access to the differential pressure cell. This process was, of course, time consuming and added further expense to the procedure.
Later developments in valve manifold assemblies have suffered from the lack of interchangeability and adaptability to various factors encountered in the field. An installer of these assemblies was required to maintain a variety of parts on hand depending upon the type of valve manifold used and whether a steam block was incorporated into the installation. The prior art mounting brackets were unable to accommodate both flange-to-flange and pipe-to-flange connections. A different set of connecting bolts was required if the assembly was to utilize a steam block for maintaining flowable characteristics in a viscous system fluid. Purge lines to drain the assembly were an afterthought, and no provision was made to protect their connection. Also, the use of a single mounting connection led to decreased stability of the mounted assembly.
The foregoing and other disadvantages have been experienced for many years and no single structure has been proposed to eliminate them. The subject invention overcomes the foregoing problems and others, and provides a mounting bracket for a valve manifold which is more effective and universal in use.